Easily confused with : Rare Lords and Ladies but only if you happen to be in the deep south of England (or in a garden) where that is found.

No relation to : Cuckoo Flower [a plant with similar name]

Arum plants contain the toxic glycosidic saponin aroin(e), aroidin and aronin, Coniine-like alkaloids, which depress the Central Nervous System. Other toxins include Cyanogenic Glycosides, and calcium oxalate raphides (raphides are sharp needle shaped crystals).

Starch extracted from the root was formerly used for starching laundry, but it contains the same acute irritant as does the acrid juice contained in all parts of the plant, so its use in this context was abandoned. Portland arrowroot (not the same as 'arrowroot' which is obtained from a plant called 'Arrowroot', a native of far away climes which is used in the making of arrowroot biscuits) and Portland sago were food preparations obtained from baking the powdered root, the toxic components presumably being destroyed by the baking process.

The attractive red berries are the most poisonous parts of this plant, but fatalities are rare due to the burning sensation in the mouth when the berries are eaten. This is followed by swelling of the tongue, salivation, strong convulsions, nausea, bloody vomiting and severe gastroenteritis. Higher amounts lead to arrhythmia and paralysis of the central nervous system.

Contact with the sap can cause severe dermatitis.

The spadix generates its' own heat (rather unique in a plant) to vaporise amine molecules (which have a foetid odour) in order to attract certain flies known as 'Owl Midges' in the hood (spathe), which in trying to escape, pollinate the stigmas. The flies are imprisoned until the male flowers mature, when the spathe drops off revealing the berries. This heat-generation process could be seen as un-likely, given the low metabolism of plants, but seems to be true of Lords and Ladies.

The i in 'pint' in Cuckoo Pint is pronounced similar to the i in mint, and not, as most assume, as in 'a pint of beer'. This pronunciation comes about because 'Cuckoo Pint' is derived from the old English cuccopintle meaning 'Cuckoo's Penis', which it apparently resembles. In a similar vein, some folk call it 'Willy Lily' although it does not belong to the Lily Family.

OXALIC ACID Oxalic Acid is the smallest di-carboxylic acid and about 3000 times stronger than Acetic Acid. Highly insoluble in water, it is present as crystals in many plants, including Cuckoo Pint, which contains about 0.3% in the berries, but is present in other parts. Oxalic Acid is usually present as extremely fine long and narrow crystals known as raphides, which are more dangerous because of their ability to pierce cells. Oxalic Acid is toxic. Crystals of one of the highly insoluble salts of Oxalic Acid called Calcium Oxalate are apt to accumulate in the kidneys as kidney stones.

TYROSONE & TRIGLOCHIN Triglochinin, a Cyanogenic Glycosides derived from oxidative cleavage of the ring in Tyrosine, is present at up 100ppm in all parts of the plant. As such, it is one of the toxic components present in all parts but especially the berries. Tyrosine itself is one of the natural 21 or 22 amino acids and plays an important role in photosynthesis in plants, acting as an electron-donor in the reduction of oxidized chlorophyll. In accomplishing this feat, Tyrosine itself loses the hydrogen atom in the hydroxyl group attached to the phenyl group (far left). Tyrosine is also the precursor to the black skin pigment melanin. NICOTINE A trace amount of Nicotine is also present. It is also found in members of the Nightshade Family (Solanaceae), and especially in the Genus Nicotinia (Tobacco). Nicotine is a very addictive alkaloid, probably as dependence-forming as some of the narcotics such as heroin and cocaine. In low doses of up to 1mg it acts as a stimulant in mammals. It is enantiomeric, existing in two stereo-isometric forms, one dextro-roatory, the other laevo-roatatory. Only The laevo-rotatory form is naturally produced; the dextro-rotatory form is only half as pharmacologically active as the laevo-rotatory form.

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